Businesses using Kodak’s desktop scanners across their organization can now monitor, manage and update these capture peripherals through a central server and web based administration interface. KODAK Asset Management Software will enable IT directors and system administrators to remotely monitor scanner performance and status, deploy driver and profile updates, and gain insight to identify trends and streamline processes.

Available as a server and client module, KODAK Asset Management Software helps businesses optimize time, budgets, resources and efficiency related to document-based processes and applications. Asset Management Software will be available in the United States and Canada beginning Aug. 29 and in other parts of the world shortly after.

“Kodak continues to meet the needs of a growing distributed capture market. Businesses with many scanners in multiple locations face challenges related to tracking, managing and supporting these devices,” said Tony Barbeau, Kodak’s General Manager for Document Imaging. “KODAK Asset Management Software is designed as an affordable yet comprehensive way to support these needs. Its unique offerings drive system-level improvements for customers.”

Asset Management Software’s Server Module includes a centralized dashboard and management tool based on information collected in a database. The database and dashboard offer comprehensive information on desktop scanners including software and driver versions, consumables usage and supply levels, and available scanner updates. The Client Module loads onto a user’s PC, sends updates to the central server database, and receives upgrades and updates. Asset Management Software will initially support KODAK SCANMATE i900 Series Scanners, KODAK i1200 and i1300 Plus Series Scanners andKODAK i2000 Series Scanners.

The centralized management platform supports ease of use and drives faster process completion, which helps businesses increase overall productivity and cost transparency. For initial setup, Asset Management Software allows users to register, install, and configure devices. The software platform also enables technical staff to remotely monitor and troubleshoot scanners in the enterprise. Users and administrators can receive alerts and set thresholds for paper feeding and consumables usage. The software can also manage, store, and secure scanner profiles and user settings. It supports multiple login accounts with different levels of privileges for secure operations.

“We took a very close look at what our customers needed and wanted. We developed a simple graphic user interface and paired it with a powerful database to deliver access to information on the status of document capture devices that comprise a larger platform,” said Will Hebert, Kodak’s Future Product Manager for Document Imaging. “As a result, the Asset Management product offering provides one of the most complete and easy-to-use software interfaces available. We will work closely with customers to ensure they receive the most from their investment in distributed capture systems.”

Asset Management Software includes Software Assurance, which provides users with software updates, version upgrades and support resources to ensure that users receive the most from their investment. Kodak’s technical support team is accessible via telephone to help users effectively run the software platform. Customers of Asset Management Software will also receive Kodak’s Professional Services for basic product configuration and user training. Additional Professional Services offer site assessment and hardware and software installation services.

Kodak is a global advisor and provider of integrated services to help companies transform and optimize their businesses. Through a network of service professionals in more than 120 countries, Kodak provides technical, professional, consulting and managed services to enable customers to focus on growing their businesses, maximizing productivity, and more effectively managing risks. All KODAK Products and Software are backed by KODAK Service and Support. To learn more, please visit www.graphics.kodak.com.

About Kodak

As the world’s foremost imaging innovator, Kodak helps consumers, businesses, and creative professionals unleash the power of images, information, and printing to enrich their lives.

Kodak enables customers to capture and use valuable information from electronic and paper documents. Our document imaging solutions include award-winning scanners and capture software, an expanding range of professional services and industry-leading service and support. From small offices to global operations, Kodak has the right solution to feed your business the information it needs.

jueves, 6 de septiembre de 2012

Over the past year, I have more than one conversation with people concerned that Kodak could potentially be using profits from its Document Imaging business to fund its money-losing print ventures. I'm not saying this was happening, as Kodak DI continues to invest in new technology and is even holding a fairly large industry event next month. But, there were clearly concerns that Kodak corporate's money losing ways could eventually drag down DI, which by all accounts was a profitable and growing business.

Here are some facts: In a "public lender presentation" put out by Kodak earlier this year, "document scanners" were listed as one of three core businesses (along with "retail systems solutions" and "digital plates") that generated $214 million in profits in 2011. Kodak also listed four growth businesses, consumer inkjet, digital printing solutions, workflow software and services, and packaging solutions, that combined to lose $415 million in 2011. There were also a number of "manage for cash/value" entities that pretty much broke even in 2011.

Basically, at that time that presentation was published, it appeared Kodak's strategy was to fund the "growth" entities with profits from the "core businesses." Of course, this is not really that attractive a proposition for a business unit like DI, which certainly considers itself a growth business as well. This is one reason why a sale is attractive to DI.

Here's a quote from Dolores Kruchten, who has spent many years in management at Kodak DI, which I thought was pretty telling. “From Kodak DI’s view, it’s business as usual, with the caveat that we are very excited about working with a potential buyer and really being in a position where DI is a core focus of whatever business it ends up being part of going forward.”

As for Kodak corporate, I really don't understand the production print market, so, I guess I really don't understand its strategy. I'll just leave it at that.

KODAK Info Activate Solution, a new distributed enterprise capture system, features a radically simple user interface that allows knowledge workers to simultaneously digitize paper documents and initiate a business process with a single click. The new solution provides businesses with the ability to manage paper documents with the speed and power of digital content, which helps to increase the efficiency of workflows, simplify metadata entry, and reduce processing costs.

Info Activate Solution is less complicated than traditional capture and enterprise content management (ECM) systems. As an application, built using Microsoft SharePoint 2010 as the development platform, Info Activate Solution allows businesses to leverage their existing investment in SharePoint. With Info Activate Solution, businesses can take full advantage of SharePoint technologies including thin-client operation, content libraries, business connectivity services, dashboards and third-party add-on technologies and modules. Info Activate Solution is available in the United States and Canada and will be available in other parts of the world shortly after.

“KODAK Info Activate Solution helps businesses eliminate the black hole of costs, time and resources associated with entering information from paper documents into SharePoint,” said Michael Frawley, CEO, Edge Digital Group. “What used to require customer investment throughout the year in specialized training for different technologies and tasks is now provided from a single solution that most users can learn within minutes.”

Edge Digital Group provides government and enterprise customers with solutions that help them use SharePoint and other electronic portals to improve processes related to document capture, information management and business workflows. The company has been an early adopter customer of Info Activate and is using the solution to enable more people across the organization to enter information into SharePoint. This helps to improve collaboration among Edge Digital team members and communication with customers using real-time information. The advanced capabilities of Info Activate Solution add efficiency and help Edge Digital ensure that the entered information goes to the right place at the right time on SharePoint, making it possible for a more streamlined user experience.

“Info Activate Solution helped us significantly eliminate training related to technical specifications such as image quality, file size, format type and location settings. It provides users with a level of comfort that was not previously achievable,” said Frawley. “For example, we sat down with an employee who had never been trained to scan and index paper documents for SharePoint. Info Activate Solution enabled the individual to complete training with a few simple clicks. We no longer need to train for days before working on large-scale, time-critical projects. We can get our teams up and scanning in minutes.”

“Info Activate Solution represents a significant milestone in Kodak’s expanding software portfolio,” said Tony Barbeau, Kodak’s General Manager for Document Imaging. “Its scalable framework will enable IT administrators and software developers to more easily design, deploy, and maintain an enterprise-wide capture system to support workforce collaboration.”

Easy and Complete Workflows

Businesses can use Info Activate Solution to create customized workflows that make a business process simpler, faster and more efficient. Workflows can be tailored to any business task that involves paper documents such as case management, claims processing, invoice processing, account registration, payment processes, contracts and approval workflows. Businesses can use Info Activate Solution to simplify and enhance these processes by turning information on paper into digital content, which is easier to use with their existing software.

Simple Document Capture

Each business workflow is represented within the user interface by a one-button job shortcut or “tile.” Businesses and their IT administrators configure each tile to capture paper documents into a specific transaction or workflow process. Tiles are accessed from a thin-client capture portal on users’ web browsers. The portal can be configured so that users only see jobs that are relevant to them, a feature which helps businesses prevent errors caused by misfiling.

Businesses can use any TWAIN-compliant device to capture images from their paper documents. Scanned images receive high-performance image processing from essential editing capabilities and built-in Kodak Perfect Page Technology. Users can also index documents by entering metadata into input fields during capture.

Total Information Management

Info Activate Solution provides IT administrators with the ability to control both document capture and workflow processes, which keeps information organized, searchable, relevant and easy to find. IT administrators can use existing skills from their experience with SharePoint to assign document libraries, build lists and modify workflow properties to specific departments’ jobs and other programmed tasks.

Info Activate Solution functions inside SharePoint 2010 for tight integration, however, it also provides file output for use with other major ECM platforms. It can also output digital documents into common file formats including several types of PDFs, rich text or TIFF, and supports a wide variety of naming schemes.

Complete Support with Professional Services

Kodak and its partners offer Professional Services that provide business owners and IT administrators with the initial training and ongoing technical and business support commensurate with the Info Activate Solution. Startup Assistance provides installation support, system integration, job setup/configuration, and training services to help organizations accelerate the first step into information management productivity. Software Assurance extends the collaborative experience with periodic software updates and version upgrades as well as access to expertise that maximizes the software investment. Kodak also offers workflow analysis and other Professional Services that align the solutions to the ever-changing needs of the business.

“Customers with Info Activate Solution can rely on our service professionals and partners to align their businesses to the demands of a digitally-driven workforce,” said Barbeau. “Together, Info Activate Solution and Kodak’s service and support teams make it easier than ever for a business to implement a document management solution across their organization.”

Kodak is a global advisor and provider of integrated services to help companies transform and optimize their businesses. Through a network of service professionals in more than 120 countries, Kodak provides technical, professional, consulting and managed services to enable customers to focus on growing their businesses,maximizing productivity, and more effectively managing risks. All KODAK Products and Software are backed by KODAK Service and Support. To learn more, please visit www.graphics.kodak.com.